Tempest Wind (Vash x F!Reader)

Taking Out the Trash

You give the rooms a quick clean in the beginning, not sure when the bartender will come to check. You just make sure the sheets are changed, the floor is dust-free, the trash is cleaned up, the carpets are straight, and overall, nothing sticks out. But when all the rooms are done and nobody has come to check, you go to the staff room and see that some of the girls are there and shoot you strange glances. Unsure if you see malice in them or not, you quickly take more supplies and go back to cleaning the rooms. You notice that the girls might peek at you through the door, but then quickly disappear. The saloon has gotten noisier while you dust the surfaces, wash the floors, and let the rooms air out.

"Oh, fantastic! None of the girls ever put this much effort into this!" You hear the familiar voice of the bartender at the door. "No wonder they've been complaining; you could take their whole job if you wanted to and charge twice as much!"

Your face turns pinker at the weird praise, and you stand in the middle of the room, not sure what to do. You look shyly at the man and give him an ever-so-slight smile. You don't want to scare him before he pays you.

"Anyway! I have to get back, and you keep an eye out for business; don't hold up the rooms. The steamer is just 30 minutes out!" He gives you a bright smile, seeming very happy with your work, and heads away. You wonder how Vash is doing in the kitchen with Hilda.

You finish up the last room when you hear giggling coming from the next door, and you realize someone has occupied it. Quickly, you pack up your things and go to the staff room, which is once again empty. You put away the supplies and sit down for a moment. You feel so out of place and uncomfortable, yet that was normality for so many. You realize it's just stuck in your head—the feeling of not belonging. You could have a normal life if you were careful not to show your abnormal sides; you could probably get away with it for 10 years before people would get suspicions, maybe a bit longer.

You occasionally peek out the door when you hear a commotion in the hallway; if a door is left open, you'll quickly give it a once-over and hide away in the staff room again. The saloon has gotten very loud with music and cheering. You assume the steamer has arrived, and people from it have poured into town. Sitting in the staff room, you fidget and wait for a room to be open again, and you think the commotion in the hallway might indicate just that, but instead a crying girl comes into the room and slams the door. She leans her back to the door and hides her face in her hands, sobbing. She's definitely one of the girls who have been entertaining the guests this evening. Seeing her so upset stirs up a lot of feelings in your chest, and you seem to forget your displeasure with humans for a moment, a desire to protect and comfort taking over. You stand up and go to her, hesitating a moment before placing your hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, what happened?" You quietly ask her, and to your surprise, she starts crying louder and lunges at you, wrapping her arms around your neck.

"Oh, it's horrible! The man is back! He recognized me!" She's sobbing into your shoulder. "He came at me and wanted to grope me! After everything! Mike threw him out, but I know he's still lurking around!"

You try to lead her to the couch you had been sitting on. Not sure who she's talking about or what you could do, you just pat her on the back and let her hug you until you can help her sit down. She hides her face in her hands again and continues to sob. You sit down next to her and rub her back.

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" you finally ask, not sure how to stop her tears. She freezes at your words and raises her red and tear-stained face from her hands to look at you. She is very young, with big brown eyes and freckles, but her right cheek has a long scar across it.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize. I didn't know we had someone new here." She seems startled while she looks at you. "I didn't mean to jump you like that; I'm terribly sorry!"